diff --git a/composer.json b/composer.json
index f252275b..44316a16 100644
--- a/composer.json
+++ b/composer.json
@@ -14,7 +14,8 @@
     "autoload": {
         "psr-4": {
             "React\\EventLoop\\": "src"
-        }
+        },
+        "files": ["src/functions.php"]
     },
     "extra": {
         "branch-alias": {
diff --git a/src/ExtEventLoop.php b/src/ExtEventLoop.php
index 6df3fa71..89f98540 100644
--- a/src/ExtEventLoop.php
+++ b/src/ExtEventLoop.php
@@ -114,7 +114,7 @@ public function removeStream($stream)
      */
     public function addTimer($interval, callable $callback)
     {
-        $timer = new Timer($this, $interval, $callback, false);
+        $timer = new Timer($interval, $callback, false);
 
         $this->scheduleTimer($timer);
 
@@ -126,7 +126,7 @@ public function addTimer($interval, callable $callback)
      */
     public function addPeriodicTimer($interval, callable $callback)
     {
-        $timer = new Timer($this, $interval, $callback, true);
+        $timer = new Timer($interval, $callback, true);
 
         $this->scheduleTimer($timer);
 
diff --git a/src/Factory.php b/src/Factory.php
deleted file mode 100644
index 207bc13c..00000000
--- a/src/Factory.php
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,21 +0,0 @@
-<?php
-
-namespace React\EventLoop;
-
-class Factory
-{
-    public static function create()
-    {
-        // @codeCoverageIgnoreStart
-        if (function_exists('event_base_new')) {
-            return new LibEventLoop();
-        } else if (class_exists('libev\EventLoop', false)) {
-            return new LibEvLoop;
-        } else if (class_exists('EventBase', false)) {
-            return new ExtEventLoop;
-        }
-
-        return new StreamSelectLoop();
-        // @codeCoverageIgnoreEnd
-    }
-}
diff --git a/src/LibEvLoop.php b/src/LibEvLoop.php
index 38e4ec2c..d10b8902 100644
--- a/src/LibEvLoop.php
+++ b/src/LibEvLoop.php
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@ public function removeStream($stream)
      */
     public function addTimer($interval, callable $callback)
     {
-        $timer = new Timer($this, $interval, $callback, false);
+        $timer = new Timer($interval, $callback, false);
 
         $callback = function () use ($timer) {
             call_user_func($timer->getCallback(), $timer);
@@ -125,7 +125,7 @@ public function addTimer($interval, callable $callback)
      */
     public function addPeriodicTimer($interval, callable $callback)
     {
-        $timer = new Timer($this, $interval, $callback, true);
+        $timer = new Timer($interval, $callback, true);
 
         $callback = function () use ($timer) {
             call_user_func($timer->getCallback(), $timer);
diff --git a/src/LibEventLoop.php b/src/LibEventLoop.php
index a55d6104..ecf45f79 100644
--- a/src/LibEventLoop.php
+++ b/src/LibEventLoop.php
@@ -119,7 +119,7 @@ public function removeStream($stream)
      */
     public function addTimer($interval, callable $callback)
     {
-        $timer = new Timer($this, $interval, $callback, false);
+        $timer = new Timer($interval, $callback, false);
 
         $this->scheduleTimer($timer);
 
@@ -131,7 +131,7 @@ public function addTimer($interval, callable $callback)
      */
     public function addPeriodicTimer($interval, callable $callback)
     {
-        $timer = new Timer($this, $interval, $callback, true);
+        $timer = new Timer($interval, $callback, true);
 
         $this->scheduleTimer($timer);
 
diff --git a/src/State.php b/src/State.php
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..9e2ae3d9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/State.php
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+<?php
+
+namespace React\EventLoop;
+
+class State
+{
+    static public $loop;
+}
diff --git a/src/StreamSelectLoop.php b/src/StreamSelectLoop.php
index 7d455048..9c04647d 100644
--- a/src/StreamSelectLoop.php
+++ b/src/StreamSelectLoop.php
@@ -97,7 +97,7 @@ public function removeStream($stream)
      */
     public function addTimer($interval, callable $callback)
     {
-        $timer = new Timer($this, $interval, $callback, false);
+        $timer = new Timer($interval, $callback, false);
 
         $this->timers->add($timer);
 
@@ -109,7 +109,7 @@ public function addTimer($interval, callable $callback)
      */
     public function addPeriodicTimer($interval, callable $callback)
     {
-        $timer = new Timer($this, $interval, $callback, true);
+        $timer = new Timer($interval, $callback, true);
 
         $this->timers->add($timer);
 
diff --git a/src/Tick/FutureTickQueue.php b/src/Tick/FutureTickQueue.php
index eeffd363..2c34d62d 100644
--- a/src/Tick/FutureTickQueue.php
+++ b/src/Tick/FutureTickQueue.php
@@ -2,20 +2,14 @@
 
 namespace React\EventLoop\Tick;
 
-use React\EventLoop\LoopInterface;
 use SplQueue;
 
 class FutureTickQueue
 {
-    private $eventLoop;
     private $queue;
 
-    /**
-     * @param LoopInterface $eventLoop The event loop passed as the first parameter to callbacks.
-     */
-    public function __construct(LoopInterface $eventLoop)
+    public function __construct()
     {
-        $this->eventLoop = $eventLoop;
         $this->queue = new SplQueue();
     }
 
@@ -40,10 +34,7 @@ public function tick()
         $count = $this->queue->count();
 
         while ($count--) {
-            call_user_func(
-                $this->queue->dequeue(),
-                $this->eventLoop
-            );
+            call_user_func($this->queue->dequeue());
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/src/Tick/NextTickQueue.php b/src/Tick/NextTickQueue.php
index 5b8e1de8..12d162be 100644
--- a/src/Tick/NextTickQueue.php
+++ b/src/Tick/NextTickQueue.php
@@ -2,20 +2,14 @@
 
 namespace React\EventLoop\Tick;
 
-use React\EventLoop\LoopInterface;
 use SplQueue;
 
 class NextTickQueue
 {
-    private $eventLoop;
     private $queue;
 
-    /**
-     * @param LoopInterface $eventLoop The event loop passed as the first parameter to callbacks.
-     */
-    public function __construct(LoopInterface $eventLoop)
+    public function __construct()
     {
-        $this->eventLoop = $eventLoop;
         $this->queue = new SplQueue();
     }
 
@@ -38,10 +32,7 @@ public function add(callable $listener)
     public function tick()
     {
         while (!$this->queue->isEmpty()) {
-            call_user_func(
-                $this->queue->dequeue(),
-                $this->eventLoop
-            );
+            call_user_func($this->queue->dequeue());
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/src/Timer/Timer.php b/src/Timer/Timer.php
index ac64d2b0..ad6729a4 100644
--- a/src/Timer/Timer.php
+++ b/src/Timer/Timer.php
@@ -2,36 +2,29 @@
 
 namespace React\EventLoop\Timer;
 
-use React\EventLoop\LoopInterface;
+use React\EventLoop as l;
 
 class Timer implements TimerInterface
 {
     const MIN_INTERVAL = 0.000001;
 
-    protected $loop;
     protected $interval;
     protected $callback;
     protected $periodic;
     protected $data;
 
-    public function __construct(LoopInterface $loop, $interval, callable $callback, $periodic = false, $data = null)
+    public function __construct($interval, callable $callback, $periodic = false, $data = null)
     {
         if ($interval < self::MIN_INTERVAL) {
             $interval = self::MIN_INTERVAL;
         }
 
-        $this->loop = $loop;
         $this->interval = (float) $interval;
         $this->callback = $callback;
         $this->periodic = (bool) $periodic;
         $this->data = null;
     }
 
-    public function getLoop()
-    {
-        return $this->loop;
-    }
-
     public function getInterval()
     {
         return $this->interval;
@@ -59,11 +52,11 @@ public function isPeriodic()
 
     public function isActive()
     {
-        return $this->loop->isTimerActive($this);
+        return l\loop()->isTimerActive($this);
     }
 
     public function cancel()
     {
-        $this->loop->cancelTimer($this);
+        l\loop()->cancelTimer($this);
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/Timer/TimerInterface.php b/src/Timer/TimerInterface.php
index 5982b314..38c6ff5b 100644
--- a/src/Timer/TimerInterface.php
+++ b/src/Timer/TimerInterface.php
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@
 
 interface TimerInterface
 {
-    public function getLoop();
     public function getInterval();
     public function getCallback();
     public function setData($data);
diff --git a/src/functions.php b/src/functions.php
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..c6f1043a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/functions.php
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+<?php
+
+namespace React\EventLoop;
+
+function create()
+{
+    // @codeCoverageIgnoreStart
+    if (function_exists('event_base_new')) {
+        return new LibEventLoop();
+    } else if (class_exists('libev\EventLoop', false)) {
+        return new LibEvLoop;
+    } else if (class_exists('EventBase', false)) {
+        return new ExtEventLoop;
+    }
+
+    return new StreamSelectLoop();
+    // @codeCoverageIgnoreEnd
+}
+
+function loop() {
+    if (!State::$loop) {
+        State::$loop = create();
+    }
+    return State::$loop;
+}
+
+function register(LoopInterface $loop)
+{
+    State::$loop = $loop;
+}
diff --git a/tests/AbstractLoopTest.php b/tests/AbstractLoopTest.php
index b4095379..fda1f958 100644
--- a/tests/AbstractLoopTest.php
+++ b/tests/AbstractLoopTest.php
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@
 
 namespace React\Tests\EventLoop;
 
+use React\EventLoop as l;
+
 abstract class AbstractLoopTest extends TestCase
 {
     protected $loop;
@@ -9,6 +11,7 @@ abstract class AbstractLoopTest extends TestCase
     public function setUp()
     {
         $this->loop = $this->createLoop();
+        l\register($this->loop);
     }
 
     abstract public function createLoop();
@@ -235,8 +238,7 @@ public function testNextTick()
     {
         $called = false;
 
-        $callback = function ($loop) use (&$called) {
-            $this->assertSame($this->loop, $loop);
+        $callback = function () use (&$called) {
             $called = true;
         };
 
@@ -359,8 +361,7 @@ public function testFutureTick()
     {
         $called = false;
 
-        $callback = function ($loop) use (&$called) {
-            $this->assertSame($this->loop, $loop);
+        $callback = function () use (&$called) {
             $called = true;
         };
 
diff --git a/tests/Timer/AbstractTimerTest.php b/tests/Timer/AbstractTimerTest.php
index bb26f52e..62274afc 100644
--- a/tests/Timer/AbstractTimerTest.php
+++ b/tests/Timer/AbstractTimerTest.php
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 
 use React\Tests\EventLoop\TestCase;
 use React\EventLoop\Timer\Timers;
+use React\EventLoop as l;
 
 abstract class AbstractTimerTest extends TestCase
 {
@@ -14,6 +15,7 @@ public function testAddTimer()
         // usleep is intentionally high
 
         $loop = $this->createLoop();
+        l\register($loop);
 
         $loop->addTimer(0.001, $this->expectCallableOnce());
         usleep(1000);
@@ -23,6 +25,7 @@ public function testAddTimer()
     public function testAddPeriodicTimer()
     {
         $loop = $this->createLoop();
+        l\register($loop);
 
         $loop->addPeriodicTimer(0.001, $this->expectCallableExactly(3));
         usleep(1000);
@@ -36,6 +39,7 @@ public function testAddPeriodicTimer()
     public function testAddPeriodicTimerWithCancel()
     {
         $loop = $this->createLoop();
+        l\register($loop);
 
         $timer = $loop->addPeriodicTimer(0.001, $this->expectCallableExactly(2));
 
@@ -55,6 +59,7 @@ public function testAddPeriodicTimerCancelsItself()
         $i = 0;
 
         $loop = $this->createLoop();
+        l\register($loop);
 
         $loop->addPeriodicTimer(0.001, function ($timer) use (&$i) {
             $i++;
@@ -77,6 +82,7 @@ public function testAddPeriodicTimerCancelsItself()
     public function testIsTimerActive()
     {
         $loop = $this->createLoop();
+        l\register($loop);
 
         $timer = $loop->addPeriodicTimer(0.001, function () {});
 
@@ -90,6 +96,7 @@ public function testIsTimerActive()
     public function testMinimumIntervalOneMicrosecond()
     {
         $loop = $this->createLoop();
+        l\register($loop);
 
         $timer = $loop->addTimer(0, function () {});